b. 17/08/1892 South Boston, Massachusetts. d. 28/10/1918 France.
DATE OF MOH ACTION: 27/10/1918 Belieu Bois, France.
Michael J Perkins MOH
Perkins was born in South Boston, Massachusetts in 1899, and joined the Army in 1916. Despite being wounded in the action cited in his Medal of Honor citation, he was killed by an artillery shell the next day while being transported to the infirmary. He is buried in New Calvary Cemetery, Mattapan, Massachusetts. An elementary school is named after him surrounding the old colony housing development in South Boston, Massachusetts.
MOH CITATION:
He, voluntarily and alone, crawled to a German “pill box” machine-gun emplacement, from which grenades were being thrown at his platoon. Awaiting his opportunity, when the door was again opened and another grenade thrown, he threw a bomb inside, bursting the door open, and then, drawing his trench knife, rushed into the emplacement. In a hand-to-hand struggle he killed or wounded several of the occupants and captured about 25 prisoners, at the same time silencing seven machine guns.
BURIAL LOCATION: NEW CALVARY CEMETERY, MATTAPAN, MASSACHUSETTS.
SECTION 1, LOT 91, GRAVE 2.
LOCATION OF MEDAL: UNKNOWN.
